Car construction.



No. 634,218. Patented Uct. 3, |899. H. H. SESSIONS.

GAR CDNSTBUCTI'ON. (Application med' nab. 25, 1899.)

3 Shedts-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

x F a W Patented .out s, |399.

n. H.- sessions. CAR CUNSTBUCTIUN.

(Application Bled Feb. 25, 1899.)

No. 634,2ls.

(No Modal.)

lll.

UNrTED STATES c PATENT Fries.

HENRY H. SESSIONS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,218, dated October 3, 1899.

Application tiled February 25, 1899. Serial No. 706,822. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom t may con/cern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY H. SESSIONS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a' new and useful Improvement in Oar Construction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to an improvement in bufling equipment for blindend cars. Y

My primary object is to provide such a construction and arrangement of the buflingmechanism parts as to avoidthe dangerous weakening of the buffer-beam inherent in constructions now in common use; and a further object is to provide certain improvements in the detailsof construction of the buffer-plate and its manner of attachment to the side buffer-stems.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure luis a broken plan section of one end of the lower frame of a car-body equipped with my improvements, the section being taken as indicated at line l of Fig. 3; Fig. 2, a similar plan section taken at line 2 of Fig.,3; Fig. 3, a central vertical longitudinal section taken on line 3 of Fig. 1 Fig. 4, abroken view, in front elevation, of the buer-beam and attendant parts; and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 details of the means for connecting the side buffer-l stems to the movable buer-plate.

ln cars of the characterpherein described, the platform being dispensed with, the bufferbeam or platform end sill is set back close against the end sill of the car. Heretofore it has been the common practice to arrange the heavy central buffer-spring in a recess inthe i buffer-beam, thereby greatly weakening said beam, besides throwing practically the whole shock of collision upon the end sill of the car.

In my improved constructionl the centrali buffer-stem extends completely ythrough the end sillof the car, (as well as through the buffer-beam,) and the heavy central buierspring is located between the rear end of said centralstem and a short cross-beam, joining the two center sills of the car a short distance back of the end sill.V

A A' represent the two center sills of the ear-body; B B', the two intermediate' sills thereofg-O, the end sill; D, the buffer-beam corresponding to the platform end sill where a platform is present; E, the dead-block, provided with a metallic facing E', F, the spring-held bulfer-plate lor buffer-head; F', the center buffer-stem, and F2 F3 the side buffer-stems.

The parts C, D, E, and E' are firmly secured together by bolts a, the central ones of which serve also to attach a metallic facing or angle b to the rear face of the sill O. Directly beneaththe center sills AA and firmly secured thereto by bolts c are the main or draft-steel I-beams G G' now well known. Framed in between the two center sills A A' and further secured to said sills by bolts dis a short transversely-extending beam H, supplied on its front side with a metallic facing H', secured by boltsd', and on its lower side with a metallic plate H2, secured by bolts cl2. The facing H is provided with a cup-like boss H3, which serves to receive the rear end of the kcenter bufferfspring I. It is further provided with a rearwardly-projecting iiange, which embraces the front margin of the bottom plate H2.

The end sill, buffer-beam, and dead-block are provided with perforations within and through which the buffer-stems move. The center buffer-stem is provided with a reduced end, which projects back of the plate b and receives a movable cup-like casting or forging J, which in turn receives lthe front end of the buer-spring I. Thev part .I is engaged by the annular shoulder of the stem and moved away from the plate h when sufficient force is exerted at the buffer-plate, the plate l) serving to limit the return movement.

The side buffer-stems are equipped toward their rear ends withv springs K, con-fined between shoulders f on the stems, and double angles secured each at its wings to a center sill and an intermediate sill in a well-understood manner. The stems project through the irons K' and are supplied with removable collars f', between which and the irons K are confined auxiliary springs K2, which serve to cushion the return movement of the stems.

The novel manner of attachment of the side buffer-stems to the buifer-plate is illustrated in Fig. 2 and Figs. ,5to 7, inclusive, Each stem F2 F3 is provided at its front end with a vertical head orl swivel g, forming,fwith the stem, a T. The stem is pivotally secured to IOO the buffer-plate by means of a perforated plate L, having channels ZL on its inner side, above and below the perforation, adapted to receive the vertical head g. These channels are preferably formed by striking up the metal of the plate above and below the perforation, thereby forming raised portions ZL. The plate is supplied with perforations h2 for the insertion of rivets. The parts are put together by slipping the buffer-stem through the opening of the attaching-plate till the head g engages the bearing or depression at z,the collarf being attached after the bufferplate is in place on the car. The eenterstem is preferably left unatt-aehed to the bufferplate.

The novel construction of the buffer-plate F is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It comprises an angle-iron of the length shown in Fig. 2, the rearwardly-turned horizontal wing 7s of which supports the tread Z and the vertical downwardly-turned wing 7s of which has secured to it, as by rivets kia removable chafing-plate 7a3. The chaiingplate protects the main part of the buffer-plate, and when worn out may be replaced, thus economizing in the matter of repairs. The horizontal portion of the angle affords a firm foundation for the tread Z and, moreover, acts as a strengthening-rib to the vertical part 7a.

The buffer-beam is provided with a forward-projecting tread or foot-board m, which rests loosely at its forward margin upon the board Z.

Figs. l and 3 show the buffer-beam sustaining fragments of the hood-supporting uprights N. A fragment of the front yoke or diaphragm face-plate I of the vestibule extension is shown attached to the bu ffer-plate. In Figs. 3 and 4 a draw-bar guide Q is shown depending from the draft-beams G Gr.

Fig. 2 shows the side buffer-stem F3 confined closely in the perforation through which it moves, while at the inner side of the stem F2 is provided a space p to permit the stem I2 to swing inwardly when the buffer-plate departs from a right angle. In this construction the stein F3 acts as a close-fitting guide, which prevents lateral movement of the buffer-plate. Heretofore it has been the practice to provide for the change in angle of the buffer-plate by allowing play at both side stems, thus permitting a lateral movement of the buifer-plate with a consequent rattling and wearing action. This difficulty is entirel y obviated by the new construction, which is considered as highly important.

From the foregoing description it will be readily understood that the shock sustained by the center buffer-stem F' is transmitted freely to the casting .I and spring I, (shown double,) where it is dissipated or transmitted gradually to the car-frame through the block II. The block II, being short, maybe made of such thickness as to withstand any reasonable shock without increasing the weight or cost of construction to such an extent as would be necessary were the end sill C to be enlarged to obviate the dangers of the old construction. Furthermore, the enlargement of the end sill is impraetieable for other reasons readily appreciated by car builders.

I do not confine myself to the exact details of construction shown, so far as the feature of extending the center buffer-stem back of the end sill is concerned, as this feature of my invention will be found present in any construction wherein is employed a main or center buffer-spring attached to the framework of the carin the rearof the end sill and connected at its free end with the rear end of a buffer-stem, the front end of which engages the movable buffer-plate. In other words, the spring is so located in the improved construction as to avoid weakening the bulferbeam, and preferably, also, the end sill, in any degree. Preferably, also, the spring is attached to the frame by'means distinct from and independent of the end sill and bufferbeam, as shown. Of course the buffer-beam and end sill may be made integral without departure from my invention.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a car, the combination with the lon gitudinally-extending sills and an end sill of a ear-body, of a suitably-supported movable buffer-plate, a center buffer-stem engaging the buffer-plate at its front end, a main or center buffer-spring located back of said end sill, means for attaching said spring to the framework of the car-body, and means on the rear end of said buffer-stem for engaging said spring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car, the combination with the longitudinally-extending sills and an end sill of the car-body, of a suitably-supported movable buffer-plate, a eenterbuffer-stem extending back of said end sill, a center or main buffer-spring at the rear end of said stem, and means for attaching said spring to said longitudinally-extending sills independently of the end sill, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a car, the combination with the two longitudinally-extending center sills and an end sill of the framework, of a suitably-supported buffer-plate, a center buffer-stem extending through said end sill, a main bufferspring connected to the rear end of said stem, and a transversely-extending block or the like attached to said center sills and connected with the rear end of said spring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a car, the combination with the longitudinally-extending sills, end sill, and bufferbeam, of a movable buffer-plate, spring-held side stems attached thereto, a center buiferstem extending from the buffer-plate through buffer-beam and end sill, and equipped at its rear end with a spring-engaging head, a center buffer-spring back of said end sill held at one end by said head, and a transversely-ex- IOO IIO

tending block supported by said sills and provided on its front face With a metallic springengaging plate which supports the rear end of said spring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a car, the combination with the framework, of buffing mechanism, comprising a buffer-plate, spring -held side buffer-stems supporting said plate at its ends, said stems having heads or swivels forming with the stems Ts, and attaching-plates secured to the buffer-plate provided with openings for the buffer-stems and on their sides adjacent to the buffer-plate and above and below said openings with vertically-extending channels affording bearings for said heads or swivels, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

set forth.

HENRY H. SESSIONS. In presence of- R. T. SPENCER, D. W. LEE. 

